The Kremlin announced that Russia and the United States are working on unspecified ideas for a possible peace deal in Ukraine, after US President Donald Trump expressed his anger at Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters and Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
According to NBC News, after a recent interview, Trump was left irritated by Putin's criticism of the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Russian leader raised the idea of a "transitional administration" in Ukraine without Zelensky, which caused tensions.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin was "completely open" to contact with Trump and that a phone call between the two could be scheduled, although no such call has been made at this time. He added that Moscow and Washington continue to work to strengthen bilateral relations.
In response, Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs of between 25 and 50% on buyers of Russian oil if Russia blocks his attempts to end the war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that some American companies are interested in joint projects to mine rare earth metals in Russia, but that the talks are at an early stage. The director general of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, confirmed to the Izvestia newspaper that negotiations with American companies have already begun.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously hinted that the United States may be interested in joint exploration of rare earth deposits in Russia, which has the world's fifth-largest reserves of these strategic resources used in the production of lasers and military equipment.
In addition, Peskov commented on the New York Times investigation into the role of the United States and Britain in the 2014 events in Kiev. He said that the Kremlin has long claimed that Western countries played a key role in organizing the then-current coup and the subsequent militarization of Ukraine.